There just aren’t enough circus themed games out there. You’d think that would be the perfect venue for video games since circuses are all about people overcoming obstacles, but there are very few good ones out there. So it’s nice to see one when it comes out. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, introducing The Incredible Circus Remix, a free-to-play downloadable game for iOS, Android, and Windows Phones (but reviewed on iPad here).

In the game, you play as a helmeted stuntman who must bounce on trampolines and tightropes to reach a goal. Most times you’ll land on a tightrope thing that acts as a slingshot. Use the touch screen to pull back and aim and send your stuntman flying. Help him avoid obstacles like knife throwers and fire hoops and reach the goal via cannons and trampolines. You get three ‘hits’ per level. If you get hit more than three times, or if you fall off the stage or get gulped up by a lion, you have to start the level over again. It kind of reminds me of a pinball machine, in a way.

At the end of each level, you’ll be ranked by how high you score. The trick to high scores is to land in the center of whatever it is you’re landing on, whether it be a trampoline or a the goal platform. So precise aiming is a must, especially since you need higher rankings on levels to unlock new ones.

Really the only main problem I had with this game is its free-to-play nature. They bombard you with ads between and during nearly every level. You can purchase power-ups with the money you earn after levels, but they make it nearly impossible to afford many of them unless you buy them with real money. Plus they make it a little difficult to unlock levels, so expect to replay older levels a lot to get the highest score. But if you don’t mind ads and want a challenging little circus game, you can’t go wrong with this.

Kid Factor:

Violence is very minimal. If you get hit by fire or a knife, you just flash and make an ‘ah’ sound. If you fall off the stage, get eaten by a lion, or lose all your hits, the screen just fades out and you start over. Reading skill is isn’t necessary as all the instructions have picture cues, but younger gamers may get frustrated at unlocking the more challenging levels. Parental supervision is recommended what with all the ads and in-game purchases.